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tv   ABC News Good Morning America  ABC  March 21, 2010 8:00am-9:00am EDT

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this morning, final countdown. after a year of raucous debate, this is it. the decisive vote on health care reform is just hours away. that vote count, too close to call. and some of the protests have now turned ugly. we have all angles covered. on the second day of spring, there's flooding in the midwest and blizzard conditions. icy roads in the plains. we're live from both places, as the winter that will not end drags on for millions. there's been a drastic plunge in the population of monarch butterflies, with almost half gone from last year's numbers. as they begin their migration
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back to the u.s., scientists are asking for your help to save them. and two powerhouse teams are knocked out of march madness. just the second round. brackets are being ripped up across the country, from the president on down. good morning, america. i'm bill weir. >> and i'm sharyn alfonsi. it's sunday, march 21st. >> and this is a different kind of march madness this weekend. after two congressmen moved to the no column last night, our abc vote count when it comes to the health care reform vote in the house, 212 yeas, 214 nays. all these numbers should change, as the democrats face fierce lobbying from both sides. >> 2:07 eastern time, that's the time to watch. the vote could take place as early as then. but it could slide later if the democrats need more time to lobby.
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and it is heated on the hill. yesterday, protesters on the hill found themselves face-to-face with democratic i lawmakers. and it is not pretty. also later, what is in this bill for you? how will it change things for your life if it passes. that's the big question this morning. we begin with the final push from both sides, with the vote so close. neither side giving any ground. rachel martin from the white house. rachel? >> reporter: good morning, bill. it has been a dramatic weekend. full of back room negotiations. democrats insist they will have the votes they need to pass health care reform. but if they do, it's going to be close. both sides in this debate are counting down the hours. democrats, with an eye on victory. >> it is time to pass health care reform for america. and i am confident that you are going to do it. >> reporter: republicans, trying
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to stop the clock. >> this health care bill will ruin our country. it's time to stop it. >> reporter: democrats are working behind closed doors to win over the 216 votes they need to pass health care reform in the house. president obama made a rare, high-stakes visit to the capitol yesterday, to make his most pivotal pitch yet. >> don't do it for me. don't do it for the democratic party. do it for the american people. >> reporter: democratic leaders say they will drop the idea of voting on the senate bill and the amendments together, after republicans accused of them backhanded maneuvers. instead, democrats will hold a direct up-or-down vote for each bill. >> we feel we have the votes. >> reporter: still not on board, anti-abortion democrats, like bart stupak, who oppose the bill because of concerns about abortion funding. other democrats say they're moving forward. >> we've already compromised. it's not going to go down. >> reporter: but republicans aren't giving up. >> they do not have the votes yet.
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we have to keep working to make sure they never, ever, ever get the votes to pass this bill >> reporter: the house will debate the bill for about two hours this afternoon. after that,a if it passes, whitee ai say thes l but no victory laps yet. as we know all know, the senate has to pass that set of amendme if the bill passes today, the senate will make that move e in nexsha >> all right. thanks, rachel. protesters opposed to the bill are expected to be back out in force today. very unpleasant enc david kerley is on capitol hill good morningavid >> reporter: sharyn, nobody on either side is happy about these ugly incidents, as congress is considering this sweeping health care reform. someone spit on a congressman. and racial and homophobic epithets were yelled at others. one incident was caught on camera. openly-gay democratic congressman, barney frank, walking through a large group of protesters, when one yells out a homophobic slur.
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frank finally turns to the crowd and raises his hands. he's not responding to our request for comment. congressman john lewis is not talking, either, after an incident with representative emanuel cleaver, walking to the capitol together. one protesters yelled the "n" word at lewis and spit on cleaver. in a statement, a spokesman said cleaver is, quote, disappointed our national discourse has devolved to the point of name-calling and spitting. cleaver did identify the man for police. but he won't file charges. an apparent effort not to distract from the health care debate. that is the fear of thousands of protesters. making to washington to express their passionate displeasure with this reform bill. >> i think most people are smart enough to know they're not part of us. if they're doing that, they came here for another agenda. >> people do stupid things. people get excited. just take it in stride. >> we're not deaf. we're not dumb. and we darn sure know what's going on. and we're not going to put up with it.
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>> reporter: these kind of incidents are not good for what you're trying to do. >> no, they're not. keep our focus. >> reporter: and there were other incidents of racial slurs being yelled at members of congress yesterday. but capitol police said they made no arrests. the protesters are expected to be back today with the vote just hours away. they're hoping that the only thing that is talked about today is the health care bill. bill? >> david kerley on capitol hill. let's bring in our senior congressional correspondent, jon karl. he's covered every twist and turn of this for more than a year now. so, it's fitting that he's hosting "this week" this morning. jon, what are we watching? is there a particular congressman you're keyed in on? >> absolutely. where things stand, we have our white board we've been using throughout this eded of course, the magic num but look at this. the yes votes, just four votes away from enough to lock this in. democrats that are either yes or
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leaning yes. so, not all of them are totally locked in. the no votes thawe'eing now, either voting no or leaning no, 214. just two away from defeating the bill. we're going into this debate just as tight as it can be, in terms of who we're watching, there's a small group of moderates that voted no the first time, who we're looking at. also those against the abortion. the anti-abortio democrats, who many of them right now are saying they're going to vote no. and nancy pelosi may need their votes. they may have to find a way please them before this vote's over. >> do you ave names of people? >> i d if you havea grhere we have got -- cat here. interestingly here, the first two, brian baird and tanner are both retiring. so, they are thought as people who called take a hard vote. thy dhavey ab re-election. lincoln davis, a very moderate, even conservative democrat. also, rick boucher of virginia. those all voted no last time. then, you have earl pomeroy,
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who they must keep. he voted yes. but he is running for re-election, bill, in north dakota. a state that is overwhelmingly republican. this is a very tough vote for him. they have to convince him to vote yes, even if it's going to hurt his re-election chances. >> and part of that process is the promise that the senate, the democrats in the senate will democratha se we senate will he wl usse this >> yeah. this is fascinating. many of the democrats in the house do n likesen bill. they want to have absolute ironclad assurances that their fixes, the changes they've been negotiating, will get approved in the senate. harry reid has this letter. we're told it has 51 names on it. but oddly, they won't release the names. so, we have the letter, but no names. so, we'll see if that's going to be enough to convince the house democrats. >> tells you somewhat about courage of convictions, meeting reality of politics.
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>> it really does. >> finally, i have to ask you. you know this stor any. what's your gut telling you? is this go pas >> well, my gut is that this bill will pass today. but i've got to tell you, bill, if i were putting money on it i it. this is a really hard one to call. >> deftly played, sir. thank you, jon. we'll all be watching. jon will host "this week." an interesting debate, karl rove, architect of president bush's campaigns, versus david plouffe, the man behind barack obama's win in the white hous they square off on health care and all other topics. sharyn? >> should be fun to watch. we turn, now, to the wicked weather wreaking havoc on a large part of the country this first weekend of spring. in frgofver cres today. but they're not expecting it to hit the high water mark previously predicted. barbara pinto is in fargo. good morning. >> repood ingn this is the day they've been preparing for for weeks with miles of sandbag walls.
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but cold weather has slowed the snow melt feeding this river. so, it will crest today a foot lower than expected. for neighborhoods along the river, the lowered crest is cause for hope, not celebration. chris crowe lives on the aptly-named river drive. >> we're not going to get the water up but we have to be safe. better safe than sorry. >> reporter: that's why crowe and his neighbors are still keeping a watchful eye on the water. and the sandbag walls they spent days building for protection. the houses may be safe. but the rising river washed out roads, forcing some families to commute by boat. >> it's not over until it's over. but it's looking pretty good right now. >> reporter: here, flood prediction is not an exact science. the red river runs through one of the flattest places on earth. when it spills its banks, water spreads everywhere, with nothing to stop it. >> so, we end up with floods that are very shallow, very slow-moving. and floods that get larger and larger in size. >> reporter: and in frequency.
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just one year after the red river's worst flood ever, another historic flood. scientists blame an unusually wet weather pattern, drenching earspart of the country for but this time, they may hav caught a break. they're on the verge of celebration here. the mayor handed out cigars. he asked people not to light them until the s today. >> okay. appreciate that. no cigar lighting down south of you. powerful winter snowstorm dumping snow on the ground from te mic on nd the ice on the roads has made traveling treachero ryan owens joins us from oklahoma city, where to cf ryanortning y bad here. just a couple of inches of snow on the ground. but it's really about the timing of this storm. it adds insult to injury. snow on the first day of spring. >> it's march. anything can happen. it's march madness. >> reporter: it's certainly not the warm welcome thousands of basketball fans expected when
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they planned their trip to oklahoma for the ncaa tournament. >> i heard about oklahoma, you can wait five minutes to change. yesterday, 75 degrees. to a thunderstorm. to icing on my car. >> reporter: and several inches of snow on the ground. add winds gusting to more than 40 miles per hour, and you have near-blizzard conditions across much of this state. leaders declared a state of emergency in all of oklahoma's 77 counties. police responded to dozens of accidents. while this storm did dump snow across the plains, it seemed to pick on oklahoma. hardly fair after the winter these folks have endured. on christmas eve, more than a foot of snow fell. at the end of january, a devastating ice storm left hundreds of thousands in the dark for days. so, while people up in iowa were so eager to say good-bye to this winter, they steamrolled their snow shovels this weekend. from here, that spring celebration looks awfully premature. if there is any consolation here, it's this. this white stuff will not be
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sticking around for long. it will get above freezing later today. and the 60s are in the forecast for monday. bill and sharyn, maybe then we can finally have our shovel-smashing ceremony. you like that? >> we like that. >> love that video. >> thanks, ryan. we appreciate that. let's turn, now, to ron claiborne with the news. the catholic church leading the newscast. >> that's right. good morning, bill and sharyn. good morning, everyone. pope benedict's letter of apology to the people of ireland, admits that the church made serious mistakes handling child abuse by catholic priests. but for many of the victims, that apology didn't go far enough. abc's gloria riviera is in london with the latest. good morning, gloria. >> reporter: good morning, ron. this is a day many thought would never come in ireland. sunday mass is beginning. this apology comes after weeks of consultation at the highest levels of the vatican is being read aloud. it is an emotional day for a
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country that is overwhelmingly catholic. so many families affected by this scandal for decades. in his letter, pope benedict apologized directly to the victims. your trust has been betrayed, he wrote. and your dignity has been violated. the pope blamed his own clergymen for protecting the church, not the children in danger. but he stopped short of taking personal responsibility or calling for resignations. instead, he announced concrete initiatives to address abuse. he suggested praying every friday for one year, for strength and renewal. intense prayer, he wrote, can make reparation for the sins and abuse. for many, it was not enough. >> he needs to hear us. meet us in the flesh. >> no commitment to a global child protection policy. no commitment to mandate and require every bishop to report crimes against children to the civil authorities. >> reporter: there will be an investigation, in ireland.
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pope benedict did not address the hundreds of victims coming forward around the world. but it is a start. what it will fix, may be a matter of faith. further allegations of abuse have been recorded in austria, the netherlands, brazil and the pope's native germany. people are watching around the world to see what next step the vatican will take. ron? >> okay. thanks very much. gloria riviera reporting from london. and former secretary stuart udall has died. he was a pioneer of the environmental movement, who expanded the national park system. he served as a congressman from arizona. later headed the interior department under presidents kennedy and johnson. helping win passage of major environmental laws. udall was 90 years of age. and hundreds of people in iceland have been evacuated from their homes because of an erupting volcano. a glacier next to the volcano has authorities concerned that
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melting ice could cause flooding. three flights from the u.s. to iceland were diverted to boston. and a new jersey teenager was arrested for allegedly making a controversial racial remark over the public address system at a walmart store. police say a week ago, a 16-year-old boy announced, quote, attention walmart customers, all black people leave the store now. he could face up to a year in a juvenile detention center. and finally, it wouldn't be march madness without, of course, big upsets. kansas, the overall top team in the ncaa tournament was knocked off by number nine seed, northern iowa, 69-67. meanwhile, tenth-seeded st. mary's, marysol's team there, upset second-seed villanova, 75-68. so, the president's tournament bracket predictions have gone bust. he picked kansas and villanova to make the final four. >> because his secretary of health and human services, kathleen sebelius, is from kansas. he wanted her to be happy. >> all eyes on the health care. >> that's right. >> i was reading like espn has a
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contest. 4 million entrants. 12 people, now are still in the running. >> everybody's brackets just busted last night. >> except marysol's. still hanging in there. >> i always root for the underdog, you guys. good morning, everyone. we take a look at the midwest and the flood zones. as barbara mentioned, the red river is expected to crest today. by contrast, in st. paul, the mississippi river is expected to crest by wednesday. you can see these temperatures have rebounded somewhat. so, whatever snow in this area is expected to melt. now, just south of there, we are still dealing with a little bit of snow. as ryan owens showed you. the snow starts to diminish in places like oklahoma. and then, south of there, we're dealing with thunderstorms. in florida, georgia, tennessee and the carolinas. in the pacific northwest, we're dealing with another storm system. temperatures around average. we are going to have gusty winds throughout the day. high surf along the coast.
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thanks so much. more on your sunday outlook later on in the show. sharyn? all right. now, to real-life hollywood drama, complete with a happy ending. two hollywood stars sprung into action when they received disturbing messages via twitter from a troubled, young man. brian rooney has the story. >> reporter: it started late thursday in florida, when an 18-year-old man posted, i've messed my life up bad. i'm thinking of killing myself. then, he sent a direct message to demi moore. yes, that demi moore. the red carpet-walking actress
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married to ashton kutcher. she or someone on her staff replied by twitter, are you really asking for help? to which he said, i'm going to send a live feed of me hanging myself. no one cares if i die or not. any good psychologist will tell you, take that seriously. >> take it very seriously. do not leave them alone. if they say they want to do it, they may very well do it. >> reporter: in the six degrees of separation that is twitter, nia vardalos picked up on it. yes, that nia vardalos, of "my big fat greek wedding." she took it seriously and called 911 in the man's hometown. >> i don't know this person. i was reading a twitter. and twitter is very public. and i saw it on demi moore's page. because i follow her. >> reporter: local police went to the man's home, where they and his mother, found him upstairs, hunched over his computer, crying. >> adolescents often want to
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reach out if they feel suicidal. so, if they feel they can't connect with their family or teachers, they will twitter or write about it. >> reporter: after the man was taken into protective custody, nia vardalos tweeted an update. just folk to florida police again. he is okay. it's not a hoax. for "good morning america," brian rooney, abc news, los angeles. >> this is the second time that's happened with someone tweeting to demi moore. >> really? >> we talk about celebrity fascination. i guess it makes sense that someone in their darkest moment would reach out to them. >> what happens next? >> right. >> really have to watch that. >> we'll be right back. coming up on "good morning america," the missing monarchs. where have all the butterflies gone? their population has been cut in half. and scientists say they need your help to save them. and minimoguls. the teenage girls being paid to shop. and millions followed their every purchase. is your teen a fan?
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all right. coming up, we're going to take a look at this new sensation going on. imagine getting paid to shop.
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but there's one that makes your skin look better even after you take it off. 98% of women who tried neutrogena healthy skin makeup thought so. does your makeup do that? neutrogena cosmetics. - sure, cake or pie? - pie. - apple or cherry? - cherry. ooil or cream? oil or cream? cream. some use hydrogenated oil. reddi-wip uses real dairy cream. nothing's more real than reddi-wip. so i couldn't always do what i wanted to do. but five minutes ago, i took symbicort, and symbicort is already helping significantly improve my lung function. so, today, i've noticed a significant difference in my breathing. and i'm doing more of what i want to do. so we're clear -- it doesn't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden symptoms. my doctor said symbicort is for copd,
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♪ and there they are. beautiful monarch butterflies. normally this time of year, they should be migrating back north from mexico. but this year, researchers are seeing only a fraction of the butterflies they normally do in the southern u.s. so, where have all the butterflies gone? we'll get into that in a moment. good morning, everybody. i'm sharyn alfonsi. >> i'm bill weir. it is sunday, march 21st. also in this half hour, the latest viral sensation on youtube are called haul videos. as in, let me show you my haul. i'm just back from the mall. and this is where teens show off all the stuff they bought. and it is generating millions of clicks. in fact, it's so popular that some big
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manufacturers are paying girls to go shop. turning them into little mini oprahs. >> brilliant. >> favorite things. yeah. and our "weekend window," we're going to head west. one of the most gorgeous desert landscapes in the country. if you haven't been to joshua tree national park, you'll want to go after this. >> listen to that sound. >> moment of bliss. >> lowering the blood pressure a little bit. let's start this half hour with that historic health care vote that is only hours away. right now, the pressure is intense on lawmakers. and rachel martin is at the white house with the latest. rachel? >> reporter: good morning, bill. the vote is razor-thin. 212 yeses to 214 nos. and at this point, anything can happen. yesterday, president obama went to capitol hill to make one, last pitch for health care reform. today, democrats will focus on five, key house members as they try to sway members in this 11th hour. as they're trying to reach the magic number of 216 votes to
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pass health care reform. republicans, meanwhile, fighting tooth and nail to make sure this doesn't happen. they say they are doing everything in their power to make sure this bill does not pass in the end. we'll find out one way or the other, when the final vote happens today, some time after 2:00 p.m. sharyn? >> thanks, rachel. there's no consensus in congress on the bill. and an equally big divide for the american public. the latest poll out friday shows 46% of americans back the health care reform proposals on capitol hill. but 42% oppose them. and for most, the big sticking point, the price tag. the estimated cost of the two health care bills will be $940 billion over ten years. and to help pay for it, a payroll tax would be imposed on individuals making more than $200,000 a year. and couples making more than $250,000. but the bill would help cover an additional 32 million uninsured americans. in fact, the government would mandate you get insurance or face a fine. so, what do all these numbers mean for you?
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we have a look at a few individuals and how they could be affected if the bill passes. we first met meaghan edelstein last september. the cervical cancer survivor was undergoing chemo when her insurance company didn't renew her coverage. >> they said i had cancer for a long time. and that i was aware that i had cancer. >> reporter: they saw cancer as a pre-existing condition. no other insurance company in her state would take her. >> i cannot pay those bills. >> reporter: if the bill passes, insurance companies will no longer be allowed to reject customers like meaghan due to pre-existing conditions. we caught up with her on skype. >> it would change my life tremendously. i would be able to go to a doctor's office for a checkup. >> reporter: last march, we introduced you to 58-year-old and 62-year-old dan and judy russo. russo used to work in the health insurance industry. but when he lost his job, he lost his employ-subsidized coverage.
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he and his wife now pay $30,000 a year for health insurance. >> there may come a point where we'll have to sell this house in a down market for whatever we can get. >> reporter: the new bill could provide them relief. it provides subsidies for families making less than $88,000 a year. and if the russos made substantially less, they could qualify for medicaid. but the russos fear their retirement savings may disqualify them from assistance. and for small business owners like bruce hetrick, who testified in front of congress this october, believe that the price may go down. this past year, it increased by a whopping 44%. >> we need incentives to create and sustain jobs. not incentives to lay people off. >> reporter: under the new bill, hetrick would be able to purchase company insurance that pull him and other small business owners and individuals together, so they can negotiate rates comparable to larger companies.
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we caught up with him on the phone. he was thinking of how that could help his employees. >> it gives our employees the chance to keep their insurance, even if they leave our firm. >> of course, none of this is going to happen right away. many of the provisions in this bill are going to take time to activate. the exchange that would allow bruce hetrick to purchase that company insurance wouldn't go into effect until 2010. >> a little ways to go. a lot of people who get insurance through the employer, about 80% of you won't see any change, really. young people, 21-year-olds, 22-year-olds, if it passes in september, they can stay on their parents' plan until '26. but it's a big if this will pass. about 2:00 this afternoon eastern time is the earliest when that vote can happen. let's get over to ron and look at the other headlines. >> good morning, bill and sharyn. good morning, everyone. in the news, a run to remember for chelsea king. hundreds of californians joined the finish chelsea's run.
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chelsea king went for a run in a park near san diego last month. she was later found murdered. a fashionable los angeles sushi restaurant was closed after it was charged with illegally selling whale meat. the meat from the endangered species was discovered earlier this month in a sting conducted by hollywood producers. and a strike by cabin crews against british airways forced the cancellation of over 1,000 flights. the walkout is expected to cost about $95,000. and a 60-foot-long boat made from recycled plastic bottles has left california, headed across the pacific. adventure and environmentalist, david de rothschild, will sail to australia to raise awareness about plastic pollution in the ocean. that's a quick look at the headlines. over to marysol for the weather. >> good morning, everyone. i hope you took advantage of the day yesterday. it continues to be gorgeous in the northeast. these temperatures are cooler. richmond, 72. washington, 72. new york city, 62. it will be sunny. elsewhere in the nation, we
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still have some storms in and around the carolinas, georgia, florida. middle of the country, we have tapering off snow. the southwest is gorgeous. very warm. the pacific northwest, temperatures in the 50s and 60s. a little bit of rain. fast-forward to tomorrow, everything starts to moves east. but the middle of the country finally gets mild. and it starts to dry out in the southeast. thanks so much. this weather report has been brought to you by the american cancer society. bill? well, marysol, it is one of the harbingers of spring. that first butterfly of the season. but as the monarch migration begins, as the butterflies head up from mexico, researchers are troubled by what appears to be a really steep decline in the population of those beautiful
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insects. here's abc's stephanie sy with details. >> reporter: normally, monarch butterflies find sanctuary in the mountains of mexico. but a harsh winter of torrential rain and mudslides was too much for the butterflies to bear. this year's unseasonable storms may have decimated more than half the population. not even sticking close together under tall fir trees could protect them from the downpours and freezing temperatures. butterfly researcher, chip taylor, has never been more concerned for this fascinating species. >> we're seeing the lowest number of monarchs returning to the united states that we've ever recorded before. and we're really quite concerned. the population's quite low. >> reporter: monarch butterflies in the eastern u.s., follow a remarkable migration pattern. as winter nears, traveling thousands of miles down to mexico. using a sort of instinctual gps system. when the weather warms in march,
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breeding monarchs head back north. at around this time every year, sightings of the telltale orange and black wings are reported from florida to texas. >> only about one-fourth as many sightings in texas and louisiana as we normally have this time of year, monarchs moving north. so, this is of some concern. >> reporter: while it's possible that the butterfly population's precipitous drop may be a natural phenomenon, climate change, and the destruction of their habitat in the u.s. and mexico, may be to blame. chip taylor is urging people in the southern u.s. to do their part by planting milk weed, a lifeline for the butterflies at the end of their exhausting journey. monarch watch, the organization chip taylor started, is starting a campaign to encourage planting milk weed. not just in gardens. but in public lands. by the side of highways. stuff like that. >> how does that help them? >> this is the interesting part. the insects eat the milk weed. and there's something that makes
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the butterflies toxic to other animals. that's their protection. >> it's miraculous they make it all that way. >> thousands of miles. >> all right, stephanie. interesting. thank you so much. we'll be right back. coming up on "good morning america," the videos are simple. a teenage girl shows off what she bought at the mall. so, why are millions of fans clicking in? and desert wonder. our "weekend window" opens to an iconic landmark of the american west. if there's going to be a world with more birthdays, it'll start with the first step by you. and help us celebrate, remember, and fight back. we're the american cancer society. the official sponsor of birthdays.
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so i was surprised when my doctor told me i still had high cholesterol. that really hit me, and got me thinking bout my health. i knew i had to get my cholesterol under control. but exercise and eating healthy ween't enough for me. now i trust my heart to lipitor. [ male announcer ] when diet and exercise are not enough, adding lipitor has been shown to lower bad cholesterol 39 to 60%. lipitor is backed by oer 17 years of research. lipitor is not for everyone, including people with liver problems and women who are nursing, pregnant or may become pregnant. you need simple blood tests .to check for liver problems. tell your doctor if you are .taking other medications, or if you have any muscle pain or weakness. this may be a sign of a rare but serious side effect. i thought i was doing enough to lower my cholesterol, but i needed more help. what are you doing about yours? [ male announcer ] have a heart to heart with your .doctor about your cholesterol. and about lipitor.
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well, sharyn, our boys are still infants. so, we don't have to worry about this just yet. but most parents with tweens can attest to the power of the mall. the shopping, the fun that comes off with showing off the loot. but in a fusion of savvy shopping and cyberspace, these shoppers young are going viral. as haul videos, this amateur video trend, is turning amateur bloggers into tween tycoons. it's the first thing every tween does. right after getting home from the mall, show off her shopping spree. >> i chose this one.
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>> reporter: but now, they aren't just bragging about their fashion finds to their bffs. they're showing off to the whole world. they're called haul videos. and from lip gloss to flip-flops, these girls are gushing about everything. more than 110,000 haul videos are on youtube right now. and with each averaging 10 minutes, that's more than 1 million hours of uninterrupted product advertising. it's not just about blowing their allowance on designer duds. these girls brag about scouring for sales at drugstores and bargain outlets. the cheaper, the better. >> they're the perfect marriage of two of gen y's favorite things. technology and shopping. you don't have to spend the money but you still get the thrill. it's like shopping porn. >> reporter: elle and blair fowler of tennessee, are two of the biggest stars. why do you think there's so much interest? >> i think it's fun for a girl to live vicariously through somebody else. >> reporter: do you girls get
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recognized when you go out? >> we do. i think it used to be we were recognized in our hometown because it was just starting. oh, it's this girl in our city. now, it's when we go to other cities. >> reporter: are companies sending you free merchandise to review? >> a few companies are saying, if you like it. you can put it in a video. no pressure. if you don't want to. we never review something that we wouldn't have spent our own money on. >> reporter: they say it's become so successful, 16-year-old blair had to leave high school. now, she's being homeschooled, so she can concentrate on making more videos. they're cashing in, too. posing in a "seventeen" magazine spread. and hiring a hollywood agent. youtube even offered them a partnership. so now, they get paid to make their videos and pocket a cut of the ad revenue. they're not the only ones clicking with consumers online. >> we have hundreds of partners that make over $100,000 a month. and we have several that are
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making six figures. >> i am being sponsored. >> i'm sponsored. >> i did get it for free. >> reporter: there are rules. the ftc says haul videos must disclose if they're being sponsored. >> so cute. >> reporter: that hasn't stopped elle and blair. they had their first mini oprah moment. 24 hours after saying they bought this watch, it sold out in every color. and the watch's website crashed. >> okay. we're done with that. >> reporter: now, they're getting their 7-year-old sister in on the sister act. >> just smile the whole time. okay? okay. >> reporter: her first haul video has already been viewed 1 million times. and it's not just about the products. it's prestige. a 13-year-old blogger was just invited to sit front row at new york's fashion week. i know. let's get back to the 7-year-old sister. >> the 7-year-old sister. and did i hear it right that one young lady had to quit school because she's so busy shopping? >> she apparently had to. maybe she opted to do that.
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but it speaks to the power of the internet. and i have to say, they are making money. so, if this doesn't work out, sister, we'll make banana bread and teach the world. >> all right. we'll be back in a minute. nice. yeah, just watch... scott towels have unique ridges that soak up everyday spills -- even faster than bounty towels. - i had no idea. - it's cleanup done right. ( boy shouts, water squirts ) - welcome to my world. - thanks. do you know scott? scott towels are cleanup, done right.
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my muscles just ache... ... all over my body... ...it just doesn't go away. it's so baffling. (announcer) ! does this sound like the pain # you've been experiencing? this is fibromyalgia. chronic, widespread pain and tenderness that # affects millions. sometimes i need a hug... ...but i know #it's gonna hurt... (announcer) here is hope. understanding your pain... ...is the first " step to treating it. talk to your doctor # and visit fibrocenter.com for answers and support. gotta get that bacon! there, in that bag! mom: who wants a beggin' strip? dog: me! i'd get it myself but i don't have thumbs! yum, yum, yum... it's beggin'! hm... i love you! beggin' strips! there's no time like beggin' time! to get more of the fiber you need every day, try fiberchoice. with the natural fiber found in fruits and vegetables and 33% more fiber per serving than benefiber. go to fiberchoice.com o get savings and rewards.
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sure. cake or pie? pie. apple or cherry? cherry. oil or cream? oil or cream? cream! (announcer) some use hydrogenated oil.
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reddi wip uses real dairy cream. nothing's more real than reddi wip. sure. cake or pie? pie. apple or cherry? cherry. oil or cream? oil or cream? cream! (announcer) some use hydrogenated oil. reddi wip uses real dairy cream. nothing's more real than reddi wip. it's one of those stunning parks in our country, known for its beautiful desert landscape. this morning, our "weekend window" opens in high-definition to joshua tree national park in california. >> we're in joshua tree national park. one of the jewels of the mojave desert. the joshua trees inspire people. they inspire people to be
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creative, and to think about themselves. the joshua tree was named by mormons who were traveling westward. and they felt that the arms or branches of the tree were stretched upward. and that's why they were inspired to name the tree joshua. >> some people said they had kind of a dr. seuss sort of quality to them. they look sort of strange and different to us. the rock piles are basically granite formations. and they're known as plutons. they were molten masses miles in diameter that were formed underground and later uplifted. and the strange shapes they have, the jumbled appearances to them, those boulders were forms when they were still deep below the surface. the eastern part of the park is in what we call the colorado desert. the cholla is a distinctive,
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tall cactus with many branches and many small arms. >> the landscapes, even though they're stark, are inspiring. at sunset, the colors intensify in the desert. what may have looked bland at noon, looks rich and red and purple at sunset. so, the mountains will take on a pink cast that you wouldn't see during the daytime. you have to be in the middle of the landscape so you can sense the enormity and sense your relative insignificance. joshua tree national park restores my sense of peace. (announcer) nxious about quitting cold turkey?
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make that first step easier, th the nicoderm cq patch. nicodermteps you down from nicotine gradually. doubling your chance for success. nicoderm cq. three steps, ten weeks and you're free. one reason? lubriderm® contains the same nutrients naturally found in healthy skin. skin absorbs it r a clinically tested 24 hours. for skin that looks and feels truly comfortable. lubriderm®. your moisture matched. is to reproduce every color in the world on tv. introducing, quattron quad pixel technology. it adds a fourth color, yellow, to the standard rgb color system, creating a vast array of colors you can't see with your tv's three color technology.
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but, you can see this. whoa! oh my. [ male announcer ] quattron from sharp. you have to see it, to see it. [ engineer laughs ]
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sure. cake or pie? pie. apple or cherry? cherry. oil or cream? oil or cream? cream! (announcer) some use hydrogenated oil. reddi wip uses real dairy cream. nothing's more real than reddi wip.
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sure. cake or pie? pie. apple or cherry? cherry. oil or cream? oil or cream? cream! (announcer) some use hydrogenated oil. reddi wip uses real dairy cream. nothing's more real than reddi wip. well, all the latest on the health care debate all day on abcnews.com. have a great sunday. com. have a great sunday.
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